2026-27 Fantasy Hockey Center Rankings: The Top 10 Players to Target

With the 2026-27 NHL season approaching, The Hockey News is unveiling its top 10 fantasy players at each position, beginning with the center position.

There is little debate about who sits at the top of the rankings: Connor McDavid, who secured his sixth Art Ross Trophy last season.

In past years, Nathan MacKinnon or Leon Draisaitl typically followed him, but Macklin Celebrini has now entered the conversation. The young San Jose Sharks center earns the No. 3 spot thanks to his MVP-caliber performance last season and his immense potential.

The remainder of the list is more open to interpretation. Even though there are twice as many wingers in the league, center remains the deepest position in fantasy hockey because the NHL’s most elite offensive talents are disproportionately deployed up the middle. The position offers tremendous variety, ranging from pure scorers like Jack Hughes to well-rounded contributors like Tage Thompson.

Players are ranked based on the position they played most frequently last season, with traditional fantasy scoring categories factored in, including goals, assists, power-play points, shots on goal, penalty minutes, blocks, and hits.

Top 10 Centers

Tier 1

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers

Although it took McDavid until mid-December to take over the scoring lead, he never relinquished it to Nathan MacKinnon and remains the premier player in fantasy hockey. Over the past 10 seasons, McDavid is the only player to surpass 1,000 points and the only forward to average over 22 minutes of ice time per game.

2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon’s blistering start, which saw him record 70 points in his first 39 games, faded during the second half of the season, but he still finished third in scoring and led the league in shots for the third consecutive year. No forward generates offense with more explosiveness and aggression than MacKinnon, and an early playoff exit will provide extra motivation for one of the league’s most driven players.

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3. Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks

If there is one player who has yet to win an Art Ross Trophy but could claim one in 2026-27, it is Celebrini. Or rather, a kid. The 20-year-old enters the season with massive expectations; his improvement in point-per-game production from his rookie season (0.90 to 1.40) represented a larger leap than McDavid’s (1.07 to 1.22), and Celebrini finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting.

4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers

What the four-time 50-goal scorer lacks in volume, which is critical in fantasy, he compensates for with ruthless efficiency, boasting a career 18.6 shooting percentage. Had Draisaitl remained healthy last season, he would have been the only player other than McDavid to maintain an active streak of at least five consecutive 100-point seasons.

Tier 2

5. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights

It is reasonable to question whether Eichel could have reached 100 points if he had prioritized offense over his much-improved two-way play.

The Golden Knights are stacked with elite talent in a weak Pacific Division, and after missing significant time due to injuries earlier in his career, Eichel has played at least 74 games in back-to-back seasons.

6. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews scored fewer goals over the past two years (60) than his standout 69-goal campaign in 2023-24, and his fantasy value is further diminished by his declining shot volume on a weaker roster.

Nevertheless, no one has scored more goals than Matthews (428) since he entered the NHL, and in fantasy leagues that prioritize goals, he still possesses the most elite potential in that category among all centers.

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7. Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres

Thompson has scored at least 40 goals three times in his past four seasons, ranking sixth in goals and tied for 29th in points among all players during that span. With the Sabres trending upward, we may not have witnessed Thompson’s peak performance yet.

His career production has been overshadowed by some of his 2016 draft classmates due to a shoulder injury that cost him an entire season early in his career during a crucial developmental period.

8. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Hughes’ talent is undeniably tantalizing. Since his breakout 99-point season in 2022-23, he ranks sixth in points per game, but he is also tied for 340th in games played and has not suited up for more than 62 games in any of his past three seasons.

This presents a double-edged sword for Hughes, whose aggressive, high-speed style is highly effective but also leaves him vulnerable to collisions and potential injury to his problematic shoulder.

Tier 3

9. Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens captain secures the second-to-last spot following a brilliant 2025-26 season, during which he was one of just eight players to reach 100 points.

In reality, there are numerous candidates who could be the best in Tier 3, including Connor Bedard, whose fantasy value this season will be diminished by a shoulder injury that will likely cause him to miss the start of the season; Leo Carlsson, who could take a significant leap in his fourth season; Wyatt Johnston, who scored 45 goals last season; and the ageless Sidney Crosby.

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10. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

Barkov epitomizes a player whose on-ice dominance does not necessarily translate to fantasy value, a player who sacrifices offensive stats for world-class two-way play. He has been on pace for 100 points only once in his career, recording 88 points in 67 games during the 2021-22 season, but he will at minimum be a point-per-game player with room for more on a stacked roster.

Honorable Mentions: Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes; Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks; Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks; Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators; Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; Wyatt Johnston, Dallas Stars

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